Lockdown (almost) over and frugalling continues!

[ememem84]

New thread. All welcome

Took ds to waitrose as needed milk and chicken. £124 later.....

Milk
Chicken thighs
Sausages
Mince beef
Ready made raviolis for dinner x4
Breaded cod
Sweetcorn
Peas
Edemames
Pastry
Pastries chicken nuggets
Veggie nuggets

All the above for the freezer - so it’s well and truely stocked up. This will last us ages!

Morning all! Will catch up in a bit just popping on with a couple of questions. I’m doing my Christmas planner and there’s Christmas cards planning there’s loads of pages 4 it! And I don’t send cards 2 many ppl. Does every1 usually send lots of cards?? And also how many driving lessons did it take 4 u 2 pass ur test?. I had 7 lessons last year and am quite good I have also got my DSD’s car 2 practice in. I can basically drive but just want 2 be 100% sure b4 I do get my test cuz obvs I will have the boys in the car wiv me

I send about 6 cards. Most to grandparents

20 lessons including the double test lesson. I think. But it was 28 years ago

But I had no other car to practice on

I had 10 lessons and failed my first test. As I clearly couldn't drive! Bought a car, practiced loads and had another 10 or so lessons from a much better instructor. Passed second go... 22 years ago

Hi all fell off the thread for a few days, issues with dd still ongoing and causing stress. Give me a toddler over a teen any day of the week!

Have also been spending money like theres no tomorrow 😶 have been buying some clothes which both dd and I need, plus a few treats as it's been my week off. Totting it up in my head have probably spent around £150 ish in the last few days. Some clothes will probably go back though...

I also had the car mot and it needed new break pads so that came to around £220 but I used my car savings for that.

Today have spent £24 on cat food and a few other bits in pets at home, remembered my nhs card so got 10% off.

£33 petrol.

We're off to sidmouth tomorrow til Friday, am really ready for a break and hoping dd will be okay. The Dr has requested a load of tests for when she gets back which dd is not happy about but 🤷‍♀️ hopefully will then get some support via the eating disorder service...

I think I had about twenty lessons too. Again a long time ago. No other car to practice in because after one trip out with my dad we wanted to kill each other

I ordered some more Lucy lockets after ten mins wearing the first pair. I am not a leggings person so I'm definitely impressed by them. The one with leaves and Chaffinches on are fab

Been a tough week and a tough few days - dgm has a stroke (take a wild guess who ended up in charge of that situation) and the ambulance wait was over three hours.

More prep of the attic yesterday and priming - at least five hours of roasting hotness but I was chuffed with my achievement

Painted today with the help of df, second coat next weekend

Power cut at the moment so can't do much else

Considering having a porch built has anyone done this and willing to tell me how difficult it was and how much it cost?

Unescorted I'm very interested in your annual food audit - tell us more

Wolf sorry to hear about your dgm.

Mummy it took me 20 ish lessons and 2 tests.

The annual food audit happens just before autumn kicks in - I look through all the things that we have been buying in as ready made and see if there is cheaper way of making it. Last year I overhauled the spice cupboard because I was buying in loads of ready mixed spices especially the dry rubs for marinating meats. I now have them ready mixed - which makes making dinner from what can be picked up in a rural supermarket / local shop so much easier.

Previous years I have done charcuterie, Chutneys, pickles, breads, tarts/ cakeage, Tapas, Gastro Pub classics... I go down the rabbit hole and try every recipe I can find. I love YouTube for this.

This year I am focusing on the take aways - just because most are only doing delivery to their very local area or are so expensive eg Chinese for 5 the other day would have been £125, Indian £50 Pizza £11 each. So I have got everyone to tell me what their favourite take away dishes are and I am recreating them at home. I plan on having things ready to go from the freezer where I can so we still have the convenience of the take away.

Em thanks ! I love satay.

unescorted I cheat a bit and make my satay from peanut butter, bit of soy and bit of chillie and garlic.

mummy I reckon I had about 40 lessons, and even I was surprised when I passed first time. I never parallel park 😂

Returned two dresses and a pair of shoes to Next so £127 back. Bought DC two cardigans so just their shoes for wedding now needed.

We’re trying to be relaxed about the wedding as we reckon the ceremony will be ok to take place as there’s so many restrictions already in place and that’s the important part. Anything after will be a bonus! I suspect family will be more gutted to have a less traditional do whilst I do a happy dance as I never wanted too much fuss

Our credit card bill is huge! I must get some stuff to go into eBay to recoup some of it.

I think I had about 30-40 lessons but that's because I was ready to take my test then it snowed and got cancelled then I didn't get round to booking it again for ages due to A levels so then I needed to practise again.

life my aunt sends about 200!

Thank u all 4 the driving lesson info! I can drive but it’s the theory stuff I’m rubbish at and also not vry confident. My aunt has said she will give me her car she’s trying 2 sell for a smaller price (£500) so will get that and insure it and then practice in that 2. Found sum cheap insurance was expecting it 2 b a lot more expensive than it is. Just want 2 get driving and get my independence back! Next stop is getting a job!

Sry 2 hear about ur DD girlie

I’m so sry 2 hear about ur DGM wolf❤️

I am currently planning Xmas presents now. Have wrote a big list 4 the boys and will send that out 2 family then gonna do sum biscuits or something 4 my grandparents and parents. Facebook marketplace is my favourite. I don’t have Facebook so have 2 use my mums but there’s so many Baragians on there for Xmas. So will start ordering soon. Won’t wrap tho will do that Xmas eve or I will forget what I have wrapped and have 2 do it all again!!

Oh dear it seems ds has been a pain in the arse all weekend and stbexdh is feeling the strain. Oh dear oh dear what an awful thing to have happened. Oh my golly gosh

@LonelyOversharer

sea sorry forgot the cup, its 1/4 cup of custard powder. Something in it (presumably the cornflour) makes them magic, and a bit yellow!

Yay for tomatoes! I picked some, but it's a bloody jungle. Had beans and courgette from the polytunnel for tea.

Still cross stitching at the mo. Need to get this finished so I can move on!

Cross stitch is absolutely lovely Lonely you are so good at it well done

@xmummy2princesx

Morning all! Will catch up in a bit just popping on with a couple of questions. I’m doing my Christmas planner and there’s Christmas cards planning there’s loads of pages 4 it! And I don’t send cards 2 many ppl. Does every1 usually send lots of cards?? And also how many driving lessons did it take 4 u 2 pass ur test?. I had 7 lessons last year and am quite good I have also got my DSD’s car 2 practice in. I can basically drive but just want 2 be 100% sure b4 I do get my test cuz obvs I will have the boys in the car wiv me

I took 40 lessons , l was 27 years old, l was really scared, l found an amazing instructor and l passed first time! Good luck go for it!

@Wolfcub

Oh dear it seems ds has been a pain in the arse all weekend and stbexdh is feeling the strain. Oh dear oh dear what an awful thing to have happened. Oh my golly gosh

Terrible wolf. How on earth did you keep a straight face.

Very kind neighbour has just delivered a box of her ds’ paw patrol toys for ds. Including a huge boat.

It’s such a lovely gesture. But this now means I’m going to have to do some toy culling. Sigh.

Or at least get some more
Storage.

@Wolfcub

Oh dear it seems ds has been a pain in the arse all weekend and stbexdh is feeling the strain. Oh dear oh dear what an awful thing to have happened. Oh my golly gosh

Such an awful shame Wolf poor STBEXDH it must have ruined his weekend bless .......

EM YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH STORAGE !

Oh dear, poor ex. Best dig out the tiny violin wolf 🥺😅

😂 at stbexdh wolf 🙄

Sorry to hear about dgm wolf. How is she doing?

How awful wolf

I’m deffo gonna go 4 it mrs just will make things so much easier and can go 4 days out wiv the boys if I want 2 :) so excited

em storage is a huge issue here 2

Nsd today.

Wolf hope you dgm is ok. I feel your pain as I spent today with an elderly relative who had fallen through the night and hurt her hip .It took almost 5 hours for an ambulance to come as we were put through as urgent. We were eventually upgraded to emergency and one came within 10 minutes after I spoke to them on the phone. Her daughter did keep telling the handler that I was a nurse and thought she'd broken it ( I get a bit when people do that) anyway turns out I was right and she might need surgery.

mummy my ds1 was due to start driving lessons just as lockdown started and he's not been able to have any. We are hoping he can start soon as being a taxi for him is wearing thin now.

Is there room at your mums for the paw patrol toys em? I used to share the joy of cumbersome toys

Storage is an issue.

I want to get kallax boxes for under the window in dds room and put cushions on them. But Ikea don’t deliver here. And a company which might will cost around half the price again.

We are looking for some sort of unit in our living room. Will buy this from M&S (as have a ton of vouchers so could get something nice for not much cash).

Definetly need to cull things though. And make sure they’re put away properly. Dds baby baby toys i need to bag up for the loft etc

@Wolfcub

Oh dear it seems ds has been a pain in the arse all weekend and stbexdh is feeling the strain. Oh dear oh dear what an awful thing to have happened. Oh my golly gosh

Lol! What a shame for him.

Mummy I have started xmas shopping too. Only bought 2 or 3 stocking fillers so far but I intend to crack on with it now.